New Zealand father and son arrested at Phuket Airport over Patong restaurant bill

[tomyumchai]

i had to skip on 2 cans of coke from the hotel fridge 10 years because the bus arrived early and there was no one in reception to take my money.......im living on borrowed time then.....

[kingalfred]

What a joke. So police had been monitoring the names of who is entering phuket and an unpaid restaurant bill is on the list of offenders? So CCTV was used to identify them? Not good at catching terrorists but " restauarant bunkers" in years past is our speciality! Pathetic!

[jimstar1]

always love the Photo Opps as said before we should have caption competitions

Another Storm in Tea Cup got to love Thailand

[ksamuiguy]

Very bad for tourism.

A warrant does not make them guilty.

RTP parade arrested people for publicity and a Photo Opportunity.

They were not convicted, only accused by a complainant.

Any lawyer would have the case thrown out in a heart beat.

The polices only job is to execute the warrant, arrest the persons.

There job ends there.

[hgma]

well...the property tax is due to come in effect and for the record.....a lot of tenants in Thailand signed to pay the tax ......quelines@ the borders next year?

[OOLEEBER]

Obviously everyone should pay their bills but i dont see any jet ski thugs or big drug dealers being hauled in for photo ops.. They've all paid off the cops. The tourists get arrested for trivial matters.

Foreigners will always cop the full force of Thai law and money must change hands.

Tourists are such an easy target for the police and immigration. Pay now.

This is not a trivial matter. If a father and son team walked up to you and took $500 out of your pocket and then laughed at you as they walked away, would you think it trivial? In fact if everyone did this all the time would it be trivial? In taking action on this and making it public the BIB and Thailand in general are sending out a message. I applaud them.

Also it's probably too late at 24 but that's no example for a father to setting for his son.

[MobileContent]

Nothing "retroactive" about it. The arrest warrant was issued in 2013 after they (allegedly) skipped on their bill. They returned in 2015 and were caught. No different than if a warrant was issued today but the suspect isn't caught until 2+ years later.

Unless you are trying to suggest that walking out on a restaurant bill isn't a scam but being arrested and held accountable for doing so is ?

Must have been a fairly substantial bill for the restaurant to file a complaint and an arrest warrant to be issued.

You are so wrong. This is Thailand where money buys these kind of things. Seriously, how about the guy who got blacklisted when he went toe to toe with a student who stole his writings and was blacklisted. The "student" had legal charges against himself and still managed to pay off an immigration official to blacklist the professor.

No way in hell does a person rack up a 15000 baht restaurant bill in Thailand unless hes at the top of the Conrad Hilton in BKK, it just isnt possible. And to blacklist a person for an "ALLEGED" crime, not substantiated is typical of the crazy tactics used in the country. Great example of the madness is the KT trial going on right now where the police are using DNA that does not match to try and convict innocent people.

You need to think about the whole picture before you spout off with your comments. They are incorrect.

15,000 Baht is nothing in a tourist ghetto. Two steaks, a bottle of wine plus some sideline dishes, plus service charges and VAT and you are over 10k.

[robblok]

Obviously everyone should pay their bills but i dont see any jet ski thugs or big drug dealers being hauled in for photo ops.. They've all paid off the cops. The tourists get arrested for trivial matters.

Foreigners will always cop the full force of Thai law and money must change hands.

Tourists are such an easy target for the police and immigration. Pay now.

This is not a trivial matter. If a father and son team walked up to you and took $500 out of your pocket and then laughed at you as they walked away, would you think it trivial? In fact if everyone did this all the time would it be trivial? In taking action on this and making it public the BIB and Thailand in general are sending out a message. I applaud them.

Also it's probably too late at 24 but that's no example for a father to setting for his son.

People who think like that probably never operated a business and think all business owners are rich and its ok to cheat on them. I am seriously appalled by the kinds of people posting here. Thieves are among the people I hate the most and thieves is what these guys are if they skipped out on a bill like that.

[kingalfred]

Obviously everyone should pay their bills but i dont see any jet ski thugs or big drug dealers being hauled in for photo ops.. They've all paid off the cops. The tourists get arrested for trivial matters.

Foreigners will always cop the full force of Thai law and money must change hands.

Tourists are such an easy target for the police and immigration. Pay now.

This is not a trivial matter. If a father and son team walked up to you and took $500 out of your pocket and then laughed at you as they walked away, would you think it trivial? In fact if everyone did this all the time would it be trivial? In taking action on this and making it public the BIB and Thailand in general are sending out a message. I applaud them.

Also it's probably too late at 24 but that's no example for a father to setting for his son.

People who think like that probably never operated a business and think all business owners are rich and its ok to cheat on them. I am seriously appalled by the kinds of people posting here. Thieves are among the people I hate the most and thieves is what these guys are if they skipped out on a bill like that.

oh you know them? You are a witness? Get off your ranting!

[glaswegian]

That restaurant owner must have some big connections. Immigration officers plus 4 Kathu police needed to get these criminals. I would also want to pose proudly behind these hardened criminals and smile knowing that I've made Thailand a safer place. After all, it's a well known fact that those who are accused of cheating on a restaurant bill are likely to kill.

criminals ?

[Bulldozer Dawn]

Maybe this situation would be avoided if you could get a thai to give you a receipt.

Immigration an RTP included.

[gandalf12]

Question, how did they catch these guys? I dont believe many restaurants ask for name and take your photos. So after 2 years what was the arrest based on? If they didnt pay then by all means arrest and charge them but the history would be useful here

[MeHere]

There's probably more to this story, and it's very easy to rack up a 15kthb bill in a seafood restaurant, especially if they had an entourage with them celebrating their last day in slag heaven.

Will be interesting how it pans out, but I would think they could just pay the bill with the expected fines and be on their way to do it all over again.

[Friendly Stranger]

Fools if they did this, but is this so important that they have to be paraded like this?

[ronaldo0]

Am i missing something? How did the restaurant know their full names etc, or were that at a hotel restaurant they were staying in?

I was wondering that also !

It is not like you have to hand over your pasport to eat in a place, if they knew where they were staying why were they not arrested before they checked out or got on the plane at the airport??

[Chicken George]

Loving the guys Christmas Jumper. Back right.

[meatboy]

The article does not give any details, but one possible scenario (I am not saying this is the case) would be; you go into this fancy seafood restaurant on your last day in Phuket to have a nice time before going bck home....Having seen the menu you decide for a couple of lobsters, a grilled fish, some nice wine etc....

Then the bill arrives at 20,000 Baht and you say <deleted> you and walk away......

yep you walk away,check out with suit cases following,bell boy wants to carry them to the waiting coach,taxi or tuk tuk because this place is not on the beacon track.

i am not saying these guys are being set up, but after staying in a mighty few top hotels all over los me and mrs.meat had our fair share of them trying to make us pay for services that wasnt ours.

so where was any front of house staff when they made their get-away.

[ironbark]

Computer says no.

[robblok]

Am i missing something? How did the restaurant know their full names etc, or were that at a hotel restaurant they were staying in?

I was wondering that also !

It is not like you have to hand over your pasport to eat in a place, if they knew where they were staying why were they not arrested before they checked out or got on the plane at the airport??

CCTV and it takes time to get all the details and such, its not like an investigation is instant and the cops can pick them up right away. So quite possible they flew out long before the restaurant owner got all their details for the police report.

[lostoday]

Maybe this situation would be avoided if you could get a thai to give you a receipt.

Immigration an RTP included.

http://www.centarahotelsresorts.com/centara/cmp/

I hardly think that would be the problem. Click link.

[Rimmer]

A couple of flames have been removed

[zakk9]

The question is: Will they be allowed to eat the same menu again during the re-enactment?

[Mot Dang]

<snip>

Must have been a fairly substantial bill for the restaurant to file a complaint and an arrest warrant to be issued.

PG reports it was 15,000 baht for food and beverage, so quite a substantial bill.

15,000 baht ? That is a substantial bill. Was it for just the two of them ? If it was, how many lobsters did they pig out on, and wine ?

If this is true I'm glad they were pulled up. Stupid idiots. I would have loved to have seen the look on their faces.

Purpose of Visit: Tourist .... Staying with Relatives .... Business .... Paying an Outstanding Bill

[Spock]

This is not a proper arrest. If it were, the food and drink bill would be on the table and the father and son would be pointing at it. These men should be released.

[NOC]

Ahh, a new twist...

Our scams are now retroactive, with police support of course.

One more nail in the tourist coffin, Thailand. At least you've found some degree of consistency.

and you write this without even knowing if they are guilty or innocent of leaving without paying their bill?

Considering the history and the quarry, it looks like another squeeze play.

Food for thought; the way people are scrutinized when they leave Makro, Big C and other stores, with a 15k bill, do you really think the restaurant didn't have an eye on the table?

[thailanddogerator]

The MIBS look so proud ! A big catch like this ! It was worth taking a photo !

RI-DI-CU-LOUS

[lostoday]

Ahh, a new twist...

Our scams are now retroactive, with police support of course.

One more nail in the tourist coffin, Thailand. At least you've found some degree of consistency.

and you write this without even knowing if they are guilty or innocent of leaving without paying their bill?

Considering the history and the quarry, it looks like another squeeze play.

Food for thought; the way people are scrutinized when they leave Makro, Big C and other stores, with a 15k bill, do you really think the restaurant didn't have an eye on the table?

Since it is a resort don't you imagine they were staying there?

[bander]

i think everyone should read the review's on this place before commenting,2out of 3 that i read,cheated,very very unfreindly.

the first being 2yrs.ago must have been a bad yr.for them.

“A mixed experience, one that will take me some time to get over”

Please read this review from Sara, an Australian who stayed there with her two children in June 2015, she ended up getting arrested too, the owner is obvious big time mafia in Phuket and controls the corrupted Patong police.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g297930-d575754-r292460506-Centara_Blue_Marine_Resort_and_Spa_Phuket-Patong_Kathu_Phuket.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

[mancub]

Am i missing something? How did the restaurant know their full names etc, or were that at a hotel restaurant they were staying in?

I was wondering that also !

It is not like you have to hand over your pasport to eat in a place, if they knew where they were staying why were they not arrested before they checked out or got on the plane at the airport??

CCTV and it takes time to get all the details and such, its not like an investigation is instant and the cops can pick them up right away. So quite possible they flew out long before the restaurant owner got all their details for the police report.

Except that they had time to post bail...before they skipped on it !!!

[maidee]

next, the karaoke bars (owned by police) will do they same to extort 50.000 baht for a few beers, right ?